Too Close For Comfort (12 page)

CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE

As lucidity and
sensitivity flowed back into her, her only sense was that of a
fading sensation; a totally different one to the physical
indifference she had felt just moments ago. This time, she was
slipping. Her chest heaved violently and gasped for air as her
cells used up the last of their precious oxygen. She could feel her
lungs thrusting against the inside of her ribcage as they lunged
desperately for an intake of that precious nectar. But none was
forthcoming. As her vision faded to black via dancing stars, she
felt a new kind of consciousness. As black faded back through
dancing stars, the nectar flowed back into her lungs, which gasped
and gulped at that precious air. She had heard no sound. Not, that
is, until she looked up in the direction of where her killer had
been stood.

“That was
bloody lucky. Thought I'd got the wrong house for a minute.”

“Guv!” she
choked, desperately looking around her, “Where is he? Where's
Michael?”

Culverhouse
raised his hand to show Wendy the blood-spattered remains of the
kettle.

“I don't think
he'll be getting up for a while. Fancy a cuppa?”

“Not right now.
What made you come here? I said I would be fine.”

“And I said you
wouldn't. Was I wrong?”

“You never are,
are you?” she said with gritted teeth.

“Bloody good
job too, eh?”

EPILOGUE

The cheers rang
out through the incident room as Wendy walked with modest grace
between the desks. Even Jack Culverhouse was applauding.

“Didn't have
you down as a clapper, guv.”

“I'm not, but
it's been a long time since I've seen a pair of legs and an arse
like that.”

“Hospital food.
Enough to make anyone lose three stone.”

“I'll bear that
in mind next time my brother is strangling the shit out of me.”

Wendy managed a
wry laugh. She could either laugh or cry and she had done enough of
one of those over the past few weeks.

“Well, welcome
back. I think it's safe to say we probably won't have another case
quite like that again.”

“We definitely
won't. I don't have any other brothers left.”

Culverhouse
matched her wry laugh of relief.

“Tell me,
Knight. Did you really not have even the slightest inkling that
Michael was involved?”

“No, how could
I?”

“Hmmph. Bloody
good job I put PC Baxter's name forward for a fast-track promotion
instead of yours then, isn't it!”

“You did
what
?”

“Well, are you
surprised? Four bloody weeks off work doesn't quite cut the mustard
either, does it? Back in my day, I'd've been back at work by eight
the next morning.”

Wendy had the
feeling that some things were just never destined to change.

About the
author:

Adam is a
professional author and ghost-writer. This novel,
Too Close For
Comfort
, is his first full-length novel published under his own
name. Adam lives in the Bedfordshire countryside and enjoys
reading, travelling and meeting new people.

You can connect
with Adam online:

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/adamcroft

Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/adamcroft

Adam’s blog:
http://adamcroft.net/blog